Craigslist Ann (2024)

FAQs

Why do people ask if they're still available on Craigslist? ›

Many of the scams start with a generic inquiry asking if the item is still available or if you are the original owner. The reason for this is to quickly test to see if the seller is responsive. There's generally no mention of the item you're selling or any questions specific to the item.

If you've created your posting through a Craigslist account, log in to your account and check the "Messages" or "Inbox" section to see if there are any responses there.

Craigslist uses email obfuscation to protect your actual email address from exposure. When you click on the response button in the Craigslist ad, the site generates for you a Craigslist email address. When the other user responds to your message using this address, you receive the message into your real email address.

Craigslist does not back any transaction on its site. If you receive an email or text trying to sell you purchase protection, you're looking at a scam. There is no such thing as a Craigslist voicemail service. If a contact asks you to access or check your “Craigslist voicemails,” you're dealing with a scammer.

Craigslist's traffic is also falling steadily. In 2019, it was as high as 437 million monthly visits, according to Similarweb; in January this year it was just 173 million. Still impressive, but down more than 60%.

Craigslist email relay hides your email address when communicating with buyers or sellers. It's a great security feature that you should take advantage of. That means you shouldn't give your real email address or phone number to someone you're dealing with, especially if they're pressuring you.

Craigslist provides proxy email addresses to sellers, and it's a good idea to use them so browsers can't spam your actual email address. Once a potential buyer is truly interested, however, it's okay to switch communication to your cell phone; most buyers appreciate being able to text.

Make sure the post you are responding to is still active by refreshing the page. If the recipient has opted out of the conversation, you will no longer be able to email that address. Try sending your message again with less content, fewer or no attachments, and reduced file sizes.

Unfortunately, no such protection exists for those replying to posts. When you reply directly from Craigslist, your email address will be visible to the recipient. To reply anonymously, you need to create a free Web-based email address, which does not contain identifiable information.

Do People Still Use Craigslist? Absolutely. You can search your local area on Craigslist and find used furniture, cars, rentals, and even jobs.

Do people still use Craigslist in 2024? ›

While Craigslist.org is no longer the internet leader in any single category, the website continues to serve more than 4.9 million visitors per month and over 20 billion page views per month. It remains the leading classified service in any medium.

In any Craigslist transaction, never give out personal or financial information. Always meet in person, bring a friend, and deal in cash or use a secured or proxied form of payment such as PayPal to avoid giving your credit card information to the seller.

Use cash — safely

If you're dealing with a local, the most secure way to pay or collect funds for a Craigslist transaction is with cash. To keep it even more secure, you can make the exchange in a safe place like your local police station or even at Acclaim FCU.

To avoid Craigslist ads getting flagged, make sure that your content is unique and original while complying with the website's Terms of Use. For example, in many cases, using images or logos owned by other companies or persons may cause your listing to be removed from the website due to copyright infringement.

You might also see it when you try to post similar postings from the same IP. If you receive “This posting is being blocked” message more than once, it is very likely that your account will be ghosted.

Finding and viewing expired posts is not the same as finding and viewing deleted posts, since expired posts are just old posts that have reached a time limit and have been taken down.

Additionally, bot-generated ads will often have odd spacing on the page, or be formatted strangely, or just be simply too good to be true. They are designed to stand out and entice the un-savvy to reply. Frequently, bot-generated ads will have photos that can help you identify whether the ad is legitimate.